Mauna Kea Resort appointments; Conde Nast honor

Mauna Kea Resort has announced two new appointments: Scott Main joins Mauna Kea Resort as golf maintenance director and Polly Pagdilao has been promoted to executive sous chef at Mauna Kea Beach Hotel.

Scott Main, Golf Maintenance Director – Mauna Kea Resort

In his new role, Main will be responsible for direct oversight of staff and maintenance operations at both Mauna Kea Golf Course and Hapuna Golf Course.

Main boasts 20 years of golf industry experience in public, private, and resort properties that include Twin Creeks Country Club and Barton Creek Resort & Spa, both in Texas, as well as the Westin Mission Hills Resort in California.

His most recent role involved overseeing golf maintenance operations for three golf courses at Turning Stone Resort and Casino in New York.

Born in Ohio, Main graduated from Ohio State University with a bachelor’s degree in agronomy and associate’s degree in turf grass management. He recently moved to Hawaii Island from New York with his wife and two children.

Polly Pagdilao, Executive Sous Chef – Mauna Kea Beach Hotel

Born in the Philippines, Pagdilao began his culinary journey more than 30 years ago in Mauna Kea Beach Hotel’s stewarding department.

Since then, he has risen through the kitchen ranks at both Mauna Kea Beach Hotel and Hapuna Beach Prince Hotel with a breadth of experience covering pastry, garden manger, banquets, and the main kitchen.

Under the direction of Executive Chef Hans Lentz, Pagdilao’s new position will involve planning and directing food preparation, supervising kitchen staff, and assisting with menu development for the hotel’s four dining outlets as well as room service.

His passion for creating unique dishes is matched by his drive to mentor a younger generation of chefs and pass down the rich culinary traditions of the hotel.

The iconic Mauna Kea Beach Hotel, celebrating its 50th anniversary in 2015, has been named to Conde Nast Traveler’s 2015 Gold List comprised of the magazine editors’ 100 favorite hotels in the world.

Mauna Kea Beach Hotel is one of three Hawaii hotels named to the coveted list and the only Hawaii Island hotel represented.

For the first time ever, Conde Nast Traveler editors, writers, and network of influencers reinvented the Gold List, published in the January edition of the magazine, by answering the question, “what are your favorite hotels in the world?”

“We’re thrilled to be recognized by the well-traveled editors of Conde Nast Traveler who are truly experts in their field,” said Phyllis Branco, hotel manager at Mauna Kea Beach Hotel. “Being included in the highly curated Gold List is particularly timely and meaningful as we look forward to celebrating our golden anniversary and reflecting on the truly distinctive guest experience that makes this hotel so special.”

A prerequisite for a Gold List property is a high standard of service, luxury, and beauty; however the magazine also considered the unforgettable special touches that bring a hotel’s ethos to life.

Editor in Chief Pilar Guzman says, “Like travel itself, the best hotel experiences often can’t be measured by a point system — they’re as ineffable as memory itself.”

Mauna Kea Beach Hotel, founded by venture capitalist and passionate conservationist Laurance S. Rockefeller in 1965, will mark its 50th anniversary in 2015.

The first resort built on the raw and stunning Kohala Coast, the Mauna Kea remains a landmark of luxury on Hawaii Island, offering 252 newly refreshed guest rooms and suites.

Anniversary festivities teed off in December 2014 with the 41st annual Mauna Kea Pro-Am and will continue throughout 2015 with a generous “50 Acts of Aloha” giving campaign, special promotions—including a $50,000 Golden Anniversary package—themed displays and unique dining experiences, highlighted with a grand celebration on July 24, 2015.

It was an unforgettable weekend of legendary golf at the recent 41st Annual Mauna Kea Pro-Am, which concluded with an awards ceremony emceed by NBC/Golf Channel Analyst Mark Rolfing.

Celebrating its 50th anniversary, Mauna Kea Golf Course welcomed back Rees Jones, the golf course architect responsible for the course’s renovation and son of course designer Robert Trent Jones, Sr., and honored Donald Case, a loyal Mauna Kea Golf Course employee for the past 52 years.

Below, please find images of the eventful weekend, including the winning team and 50 Acts of Aloha presentation, for your consideration.

Mauna Kea Golf Course, recently named to Golfweek magazine’s list of “Best Resort Courses 2015,” was designed by Robert Trent Jones Sr., who pioneered a technique of creating a soil base from lava rock that became a staple of Hawaii Island golf courses.

The course was christened in a legendary match 50 years ago, in December 1964, by golf’s “Big Three”—Arnold Palmer, Gary Player and Jack Nicklaus.